Tag Archives: fantasy

More from Song and Sword, the first novel I published, since I’m working on a sequel and need the motivation. This follows immediately after last week’s snippet.

Continuing from last week.

“Yes,” the voice purred from behind him as the Orcs tied her in a position similar to his. “Your little lady love. She was the perfect bait.”

Dakkas tried to turn to see who was speaking, but a sudden cry snapped his head back toward Kashrya and he watched helplessly as one drew back his arm to strike her again.

“Stop it! Let her go. You have me, now let her go.”

“Ah, but I want both of you,” the voice said. “It will be so much more fun to watch you suffer her torment.”

Dakkas was forced to watch as the Orcs struck her, again and again, until he was sure that she could not take any more, and tears streamed down his face. It was his fault that she was here, his fault that she was being subjected to this.

“They’re not going to kill her,” the voice assured him through her sobs of pain. “Tomorrow, or perhaps the next day, or maybe next week, they will be enjoying her in other ways.”

Dakkas felt sick at what the voice implied and shook his head in denial. “No,” he moaned. “Please. Let her go.”

Blurb:Pashevel: a simple Elven Bard — and the Crown Prince

Marlia: a Paladin of Arithen, the Elven God of Justice – seeking vengeance for the destruction of her village

Dakkas: heir to the Drow throne — if his father and elder half-brother don’t kill him first

Kashrya: raised among a tribe of nomadic Humans, she is unaware of her true heritage — or of the prophecy that made her mother an outcast

Their goal: build a bridge between the Elves and their outcast brethren, the Drow, reuniting them and undoing the damage caused in a time so far gone that history has become legend and legend has become myth.

But first, they have a problem to solve: how do you stop a war that hasn’t started?

More from Song and Sword, the first novel I published, since I’m working on a sequel and need the motivation. This follows immediately after last week’s snippet.

Continuing from last week.

Dakkas woke to darkness and pain. He moved his head and a wave of nausea nearly made him pass out again. His shoulders ached; he tried to move them to relieve the strain and realized he was bound by his wrists, his arms taking the brunt of his weight, his feet barely touching the ground.

“Good. You’re awake. I wouldn’t want you to miss the entertainment I’ve arranged for you.” The voice sounded familiar but the pounding in his head made it hard to hear anything other than the memory of Rebel’s screams. He forced his eyes to focus but all he could see was a stone table lit by small guttering torches. He glanced up at his wrists: the ropes holding him were attached to rings set into stalactites.

“No! No!” The voice – a woman’s – was a sob of fear and resistance and he turned his head to look for its owner, already knowing…

Two Orcs shoved a struggling figure toward the table, and it was all Dakkas could do not to cry out. Kashrya. His mind screamed her name, but he refused to give the mysterious voice the satisfaction…

“Yes,” the voice purred from behind him as the Orcs tied her in a position similar to his. “Your little lady love. She was the perfect bait.”

Blurb:Pashevel: a simple Elven Bard — and the Crown Prince

Marlia: a Paladin of Arithen, the Elven God of Justice – seeking vengeance for the destruction of her village

Dakkas: heir to the Drow throne — if his father and elder half-brother don’t kill him first

Kashrya: raised among a tribe of nomadic Humans, she is unaware of her true heritage — or of the prophecy that made her mother an outcast

Their goal: build a bridge between the Elves and their outcast brethren, the Drow, reuniting them and undoing the damage caused in a time so far gone that history has become legend and legend has become myth.

But first, they have a problem to solve: how do you stop a war that hasn’t started?

More from Song and Sword, the first novel I published, since I’m working on a sequel and need the motivation. This follows immediately after last week’s snippet.

Dakkas has been tracking the Orcs that took Kashrya.

As darkness gathered he found himself on a mountain trail. He was not familiar with this passage, but it was at the foot of it that he had lost the Orcs’ trail as they traveled over solid stone. Still, there was nowhere else they could have gone, and small deposits of dirt gave him an occasional partial footprint that kept him going.

His mind whirled, consumed with dark thoughts. What were they doing to her? Why had they taken her? And why had no one in the village – save the shaman – been at all upset to find her gone? There had almost been a sense of relief when they realized that she had not returned, that she had been taken, as if some problem had been solved and life could get back to normal.

Rebel grew agitated and he tried to soothe his mount, but the unicorn stopped, tossing his head and refusing to move forward. Dakkas leaned forward, reaching out for his horn, but suddenly the night erupted in shouts and Dakkas felt hands grabbing him, pulling him from his saddle. He heard Rebel voicing a challenge and yelled for him to get away and then his world went dark, his unicorn’s scream of defiance still echoing in his ears.

Blurb:Pashevel: a simple Elven Bard — and the Crown Prince

Marlia: a Paladin of Arithen, the Elven God of Justice – seeking vengeance for the destruction of her village

Dakkas: heir to the Drow throne — if his father and elder half-brother don’t kill him first

Kashrya: raised among a tribe of nomadic Humans, she is unaware of her true heritage — or of the prophecy that made her mother an outcast

Their goal: build a bridge between the Elves and their outcast brethren, the Drow, reuniting them and undoing the damage caused in a time so far gone that history has become legend and legend has become myth.

But first, they have a problem to solve: how do you stop a war that hasn’t started?

More from Song and Sword, the first novel I published, since I’m working on a sequel and need the motivation. This follows immediately after last week’s snippet.

Picking up from last week, Dakkas has left the Humans to find Kashrya.

He dismounted when he reached the site of the skirmish and frowned as he studied the bodies. He had grown up around Orcs — the Drow had used them as slave labor for almost as long as they had been in exile—and he had never known them to form any kind of organized groups outside of some sort of loose family structure. But these Orcs… They were different somehow and he knelt to examine one more closely.

Orcs were roughly the same height as Drow, but had a heavier build. These had the characteristic grey-green skin and the large dark eyes set into a flat round face, but they were much larger than any he had ever seen, both in height and build. All were wearing a uniform bearing an insignia that he had never seen, and he was puzzled. An army of Orcs would be formidable, but forming an army just wasn’t in their nature – as a rule they were timid and shy, even fearful.

The ground was so trampled that it was nearly impossible to read the signs of the battle, but at last he found the place where they had first come across the river. He could see the smaller footprints of the women, could see one set that did not run, that stood facing the oncoming Orcs.

He stood in her footprints and closed his eyes. She had been in a balanced fighting position, and he could see her clearly in his mind’s eye, the small hand axe that she carried held in a ready position. He opened his eyes and examined the ground. There was some blood, about at the reach of her arms, but none where she had stood, and he felt a wave of relief. At least she was most likely still alive. But why? Why would the Orcs have captured her? That, along with the uniforms, made no sense.

Blurb:Pashevel: a simple Elven Bard — and the Crown Prince

Marlia: a Paladin of Arithen, the Elven God of Justice – seeking vengeance for the destruction of her village

Dakkas: heir to the Drow throne — if his father and elder half-brother don’t kill him first

Kashrya: raised among a tribe of nomadic Humans, she is unaware of her true heritage — or of the prophecy that made her mother an outcast

Their goal: build a bridge between the Elves and their outcast brethren, the Drow, reuniting them and undoing the damage caused in a time so far gone that history has become legend and legend has become myth.

But first, they have a problem to solve: how do you stop a war that hasn’t started?

More from Song and Sword, the first novel I published, since I’m working on a sequel and need the motivation. This follows immediately after last week’s snippet.

Picking up from last week. Dakkas and the hunting party returned to the camp and discovered that the young women had been attacked, and that Kashrya, the object of Dakkas’ interest, is missing.

“We have to go get her!” The words burst from his lips before he could stop them and everyone fell silent, staring at him.

“Who are you?” someone asked.

“His name is Dakkas,” Thanor said before he could reply. “He helped us with our hunt and I invited him to share our fires.”

“But Kashrya—” Dakkas had started.

“No.” The new speaker was unmistakably Thanor’s father. “I will not risk my people to go after her.”

“But she held them off,” one of the young women protested. “She put herself between them and us so we could escape.”

The chief shook his head. “No. She is not worth the risk.”

Dakkas felt a surge of anger but before he could speak his attention was drawn to the shaman, who was suddenly standing at Rebel’s shoulder, looking up at him. “Find her,” he whispered. “But do not bring her back here. I love her too much to subject her to any more of their whispers and prejudices.”

Dakkas, suddenly unable to trust his voice, merely nodded, and the shaman shoved a bundle into his saddlebag. “Those belong to her,” he said, and Dakkas nodded again, but the shaman was gone, as suddenly and as silently as he had appeared, and Dakkas looked back to the chief.

“If you will not go after one of your own people,” he said, “then I will.” He turned Rebel toward the river, shaking with anger. Not worth the risk?

Blurb:Pashevel: a simple Elven Bard — and the Crown Prince

Marlia: a Paladin of Arithen, the Elven God of Justice – seeking vengeance for the destruction of her village

Dakkas: heir to the Drow throne — if his father and elder half-brother don’t kill him first

Kashrya: raised among a tribe of nomadic Humans, she is unaware of her true heritage — or of the prophecy that made her mother an outcast

Their goal: build a bridge between the Elves and their outcast brethren, the Drow, reuniting them and undoing the damage caused in a time so far gone that history has become legend and legend has become myth.

But first, they have a problem to solve: how do you stop a war that hasn’t started?

More from Song and Sword, the first novel I published, since I’m working on a sequel and need the motivation. This follows immediately after last week’s snippet.

Dakkas has been invited to share a meal with the Humans.

They found the camp in turmoil. The young women Dakkas had been watching were in tears, shaking, being held by their parents, and the rest of the men were armed, ready for battle.

“What happened?” Thanor demanded.

“Orcs. The women were down by the river and they swarmed across and attacked them. We drove them off.”

“Are you sure?” Dakkas asked, frowning. “Orcs don’t normally attack.”

“We’re sure. We left a few bodies for the buzzards if you want to see for yourself.”

“Is everyone all right?” Thanor asked.

“Yes,” an elderly woman said. “No one was hurt and only one is missing.”

From Rebel’s back Dakkas surveyed the people, a sinking sensation gripping him. Always his eyes had been drawn to her, no matter where she was, but now…

“Who?” Thanor’s voice was grim. “Who is missing?”

“Kashrya,” came the reply from an old man clutching a staff, and Dakkas felt a blade of ice pierce his heart, even as the others seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

Blurb:Pashevel: a simple Elven Bard — and the Crown Prince

Marlia: a Paladin of Arithen, the Elven God of Justice – seeking vengeance for the destruction of her village

Dakkas: heir to the Drow throne — if his father and elder half-brother don’t kill him first

Kashrya: raised among a tribe of nomadic Humans, she is unaware of her true heritage — or of the prophecy that made her mother an outcast

Their goal: build a bridge between the Elves and their outcast brethren, the Drow, reuniting them and undoing the damage caused in a time so far gone that history has become legend and legend has become myth.

But first, they have a problem to solve: how do you stop a war that hasn’t started?

More from Song and Sword, the first novel I published, since I’m working on a sequel and need the motivation. This follows immediately after last week’s snippet.

Skipping ahead just a bit from last week. Dakkas aided the Humans in their hunt and has been invited to share their meal.

As they started back to the tribe’s camp, Dakkas could not help but wonder what his father would have to say about this. Joining with Humans for food? Drow did not mix with other races.

And that, Dakkas thought, was part of the problem. Centuries – generations – of isolationism had not improved the Drows’ lot: in fact, it seemed to him that it had only made it worse. There was fear, hatred, and mistrust on both sides of the border, and he was fool enough (according to his father) to believe that it could change.

“So, where do you come from, stranger?” one asked. “We don’t meet many Elves.”

“Drow?” The leader frowned, looking up at him. “What are you doing down here? We’ve never had any trouble with your kind.”

“And I hope there is no trouble now,” Dakkas replied quietly. “I was merely patrolling our borders, and grew curious. And lonely.”

The Human nodded. “I am Thanor, son of the chief, and I bid you welcome at our fires.”

Blurb:Pashevel: a simple Elven Bard — and the Crown Prince

Marlia: a Paladin of Arithen, the Elven God of Justice – seeking vengeance for the destruction of her village

Dakkas: heir to the Drow throne — if his father and elder half-brother don’t kill him first

Kashrya: raised among a tribe of nomadic Humans, she is unaware of her true heritage — or of the prophecy that made her mother an outcast

Their goal: build a bridge between the Elves and their outcast brethren, the Drow, reuniting them and undoing the damage caused in a time so far gone that history has become legend and legend has become myth.

But first, they have a problem to solve: how do you stop a war that hasn’t started?

More from Song and Sword, the first novel I published, since I’m working on a sequel and need the motivation. This follows immediately after last week’s snippet.

The unicorn swung his head, resting his horn against his rider’s temple, but Dakkas could not sort out the sensations he was receiving. Something was wrong, out of place. But there did not seem to be any immediate threat to either of them. Probably just picking up on the fact that there are others out and about, Dakkas thought, and swung lightly into the saddle, turning him to follow the hunting party. He would shadow them for a while, see where they went and what they hunted. And maybe hear what they said.

Rebel moved with the silence that only a unicorn could achieve, and soon Dakkas was within earshot of the hunting party. He suppressed a chuckle: young men were young men, no matter what race they were – the conversation had turned to women, and they were discussing the merits of each of the tribe’s maidens. Listening to them he learned which were the best cooks, which the best at tanning hides, braiding, beading, sewing… and he felt an unexpected surge of jealousy when they all agreed that Kashrya was by far the prettiest.

“But she’s so… different,” one said.

“Agreed,” another replied. “She’s always been an outsider and always will be.”

“It’s not her fault,” another said. “She was fathered and raised by the shaman – that has to have made her a bit strange.”

“And her mother was never quite right, either,” another chimed in. “Said she was an Elf but came out of the Drow territories.”

Blurb:Pashevel: a simple Elven Bard — and the Crown Prince

Marlia: a Paladin of Arithen, the Elven God of Justice – seeking vengeance for the destruction of her village

Dakkas: heir to the Drow throne — if his father and elder half-brother don’t kill him first

Kashrya: raised among a tribe of nomadic Humans, she is unaware of her true heritage — or of the prophecy that made her mother an outcast

Their goal: build a bridge between the Elves and their outcast brethren, the Drow, reuniting them and undoing the damage caused in a time so far gone that history has become legend and legend has become myth.

But first, they have a problem to solve: how do you stop a war that hasn’t started?

More from Song and Sword, the first novel I published, since I’m working on a sequel and need the motivation. This follows immediately after last week’s snippet.

Other voices – male – caught his attention and he turned. A group of young men were setting out on a hunt, their spears resting on their shoulders, and he smiled, silently leaping from his perch in an old oak and giving a whispered whistle.

A moment later his mount appeared, his dark red coat appearing brown in the forest shadows, his horn gleaming black in the filtered light. For a moment he leaned against the unicorn, the only true friend he’d ever had, the only thing that could never be taken from him. “What do you think, Rebel? Should we join the hunt?”

Rebel tossed his head, striking at the ground with one hoof. He seemed uneasy, and Dakkas frowned. “What is it, Reb?” For a moment fear gripped him. Perhaps Jehadi or their father had come after him – his death would be easier to explain if it happened outside of Raes’drao-V’len, the Drow Kingdom. No. If it was a threat to him Rebel would be taking him away by now, not standing here, waiting.

Blurb:Pashevel: a simple Elven Bard — and the Crown Prince

Marlia: a Paladin of Arithen, the Elven God of Justice – seeking vengeance for the destruction of her village

Dakkas: heir to the Drow throne — if his father and elder half-brother don’t kill him first

Kashrya: raised among a tribe of nomadic Humans, she is unaware of her true heritage — or of the prophecy that made her mother an outcast

Their goal: build a bridge between the Elves and their outcast brethren, the Drow, reuniting them and undoing the damage caused in a time so far gone that history has become legend and legend has become myth.

But first, they have a problem to solve: how do you stop a war that hasn’t started?

More from Song and Sword, the first novel I published, since I’m working on a sequel and need the motivation. This follows immediately after last week’s snippet.

He could hear the voices of the young women, could hear their laughter. There seemed to be a cruel edge to it and he winced, knowing that it was directed at Kashrya. He had heard enough of their conversations to know how they felt about her, and it both saddened and angered him. It also gave him hope that she would leave with him, should he ever have the courage to talk to her.

Kashrya moved away from the others, toward the forest, and Dakkas tensed, his breath catching. Now would be the perfect time to approach her, he thought. But then what? Aside from the fact his presence would most likely frighten her, he was a Drow. She would never be interested in the likes of him. He closed his eyes. He was Drow. He didn’t deserve someone like her.

Blurb:Pashevel: a simple Elven Bard — and the Crown Prince

Marlia: a Paladin of Arithen, the Elven God of Justice – seeking vengeance for the destruction of her village

Dakkas: heir to the Drow throne — if his father and elder half-brother don’t kill him first

Kashrya: raised among a tribe of nomadic Humans, she is unaware of her true heritage — or of the prophecy that made her mother an outcast

Their goal: build a bridge between the Elves and their outcast brethren, the Drow, reuniting them and undoing the damage caused in a time so far gone that history has become legend and legend has become myth.

But first, they have a problem to solve: how do you stop a war that hasn’t started?